Treasures in the Darkness

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and just wondered in awe about the stars and all that we see there? God tells us in Psalm 8 Whom we have to thank for these wonders in the night sky!

"O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! Who hast set Thy glory above the heavens. When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon, and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?" Psalm 8:1, 3-4

This is a familiar psalm that I have read scores of times in my life. But recently, the Lord encouraged my heart with some new thoughts about how He reveals His glory to each of us. ​

The psalm references the glory of God that is even higher than the heavens. He describes the work of God in carefully and meticulously placing the moon and the stars in their places. ​

I don’t know if you have ever had the picture in your mind of God at creation just flinging the stars across the sky like an artist splattering paint on a blank canvas. That was kind of the picture that I had in mind for years when I looked in awe at the starlit night sky.

What the Psalmist points out here, in particular, is that God is using His fingers to “ordain” or place carefully the moon and all the stars. Imagine that…each star, planet, sun, and moon were placed right where they are by the very fingers of our God!

When I began to think about this incredibly meticulous task, the next verse came alive to me. The God Who purposefully and particularly placed the billions of stars in their places thinks about me and even takes time to minister to me individually! What an amazing and humbling thought! 
 
But another thought came quickly after these—why do we only see the stars in the nighttime? If I had done something as incredible as God has done with the stars, I would want them to be seen ALL the time.

Now I am no scientist to explain this, but the answer seems simple--it is only in the darkness of night that the light of the stars is revealed for our human eyes to see. Does that mean they cease to exist when we can’t see them? Of course not! Just because we can’t see the stars doesn’t mean they aren’t there. We just have to wait for God to reveal them to us.​

Psalm 8:1 references God’s “glory above the heavens.” ​Could it be that sometimes it takes the darkness of the night in our lives to allow God’s glory to be revealed? 

Isaiah says it this way:

"And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel." Isaiah 45:3

​Maybe God’s glory is veiled right now waiting for that time of darkness so that you and I will know that it is the treasure He desires to give us even in the dark. What a blessing to see God’s glory in the difficult times to encourage us to continue on! This life is fraught with darkness because of sin, but God has given us treasure to find and hidden riches that will remind us that He is our God!

Someone has said, “Don’t forget in the dark the lessons that you have learned in the light.” The dark times of life are there to reveal the reality of what God is teaching us from His Word each day.

Don’t miss out on the treasures in the darkness God has for you!

I don’t know what is going on in your life today, but I do know that our God cares about the little things in your life and mine—He thinks on us and visits us! Maybe you are in a time of darkness—take some time to look at the “night sky” and see the bright spots of His glory He is trying to reveal to you in your darkness. Then praise Him because He is excellent and worthy of our praise!

I don’t know what's going on in your life today, friend, but please don’t miss out on the treasures in the darkness God has for you. They are there waiting for you!